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Five world class players United could still sign without finishing fourth

We take a look at five world class players Manchester United could sign in the summer even if they're not in the Champions League.

David Moyes and his men, if realistic about their chances, know that a fourth placed finish is know beyond their reach. And with the wheels turning in preparation for next season, it's likely plans are being put afoot with Champions League football not on the radar.

United are nine points behind Manchester City and 11 behind Liverpool and Arsenal and in fact could even drop to seventh if Everton win their game in hand. It's not a desirable scenario for United fans who at this point last season were looking at the league table in a much better mood.

For Manchester United though, missing out on a Champions League place is far from the end of the world as they can offer large crowds, big money and the dream of playing for one of the very top clubs in the World.

We take a look at five World Class players who we think would jump at the chance of a United move, despite missing out on Champions League football.

It's become harder and harder for Dortmund to compete with Bayern Munich and despite sitting second, the dominance of the German champions could have Dortmund players looking elsewhere in order to win silverware.

Hummels has been linked with United in the past, and it's likely the German international could be enticed to move along with a couple other Dortmund players.

The 23-year-old central midfielder could be another one on the list, despite spending the majority of this season injured. For similar reasons to Hummels, it could be that a large part of the side that made the Champions League final could look to move on as the Munich machine gets even stronger with the Lewandowski signing.

And finally, the third of the trio United should look at in the summer is Maro Reus. A former winner of 'Footballer of the Year' in Germany, he certainly does come with a good pedigree. He has been called one of the best players in the World in the past. However, he has never seriously been linked with any major international award. He definitely remains one of the stand-out players United should look towards in the summer to boost their domestic and European trophy chances, and can boost his standing in the process.

Another player linked with Manchester United previously, but for whatever reason nothing came off. He remains as one of the best players in La Liga, and despite some substantial competition he is ranked the best centre-midfielder in La Liga according to WhoScored's rating system.

According to reports the French international is at the heart of a Manchester tug-of-war and despite their position, he could still choose United over City if the opportunity arises. City would be unlikely to offer him regular first-team football every week, but at United he could look to build a legacy. At just 23-years-old, he is renowned as one of the most promising defenders in the world, and despite stiff competition, he remains in a good position to win a France World Cup call-up.